After a lifetime of undressing beautiful women, Playboy now has a new cause -- dressing men.
Seeking to expand its lucrative licensing business, Playboy Enterprises Inc has launched a line of menswear that represents a hip departure from the silk smoking jackets favored by its 80-year-old founder, Hugh Hefner.
At the Magic Marketplace apparel trade show in Las Vegas this week, fashion
buyers got their first peek at a 2007 spring line of men's T-shirts, jackets and swimwear, all emblazoned with variations on Playboy's iconic bunny logo.
At a nearby booth, rival entertainment brand Penthouse International Inc unabashedly showed that sex is always popular, displaying a line of four-to six-inch high heels in red satin, metallics, and faux leopard and snakeskin.
While Playboy's women's apparel line emphasizes sexy, Playboy executives said that for men, it's cool that sells.
{{/usCountry}}While Playboy's women's apparel line emphasizes sexy, Playboy executives said that for men, it's cool that sells.
{{/usCountry}}"If they (young males) can't gain access to the Playboy mansion, then they'll buy a T-shirt that makes them feel like they're affiliated with the lifestyle," said Aaron Duncan, Playboy's creative director of licensing.
Designers envisioned a young Hef when creating the men's collection, which is influenced by retro fashion, Duncan said. Silk-screen images of 1970s-era Playboy cover girls adorn swim trunks and T-shirts, for example, while the ubiquitous bunny ears pop up track suit jackets and tees.
The theme for Playboy's upcoming fall 2007 men's line is "On the Prowl."